Tectonics Trek

60 minute Program | All Ages

Tectonics Trek takes students on a journey through Earth’s internal layers as we examine the powerful forces that have driven the movement of continents throughout Earth’s history. Through a series of hands-on activities and a short presentation, students will be able to:

Analyze evidence for plate tectonics.

Understand how plate tectonics can affect people.

Explore the relationship between earthquake shaking and built infrastructure.

Kindergarten Science: The motion of objects depends on their properties
• Effects of pushes/pulls on movement
• Local First Peoples knowledge of the local landscape, plants and animals

Science 1: Matter is useful because of its properties, observable patterns and cycles occur in the local sky and landscape
• Local patterns that occur on Earth and in the sky

Science 2: Materials can be changed through physical and chemical processes, Forces influence the motion of an object.
• Physical ways of changing materials

Science 3:
• Major local landforms
• Local First Peoples knowledge of local landforms

Science 5: Earth materials change as they move through the rock cycle and can be used as natural resources
• The rock cycle, local types of earth material
• First Peoples concepts of interconnectedness in the environment

Earth Science 11: Earth materials are changed as they cycle through the geosphere and are used as resources, with economic and environmental implications, plate tectonic theory explains the consequences of tectonic plate interactions
• Evidence that supports plate tectonic theory
• Factors that affect plate motion
• First Peoples knowledge of local plate tectonic settings and geologic terrains
• Properties of the ocean and the ocean floor

Earth Science 12: Earth’s geological and biological history is interpreted and inferred from information stored in rock strata and fossil evidence, the plate tectonic theory explains the changes that occur within Earth and to Earth’s crust throughout geological time
• The geologic time scale and major events in Earth’s history
• The formation of volcanic and deformational features through plate movement
• Evidence that supports a layered model of Earth
• Earthquakes and analysis of seismic waves
• First Peoples knowledge of geologic events
• Internal and external factors that affect the plasticity of rock strata
• Faulting and folding
• Geologic maps, cross-sections, and block diagrams